Rhombus Firebee

i purchased this as i was looking to get into kiteboarding on a budget. at the time i was a little apprensive about the size but was assured that i needed a little extra power on the board.

the kite itself is made of medium weight nylon and is well put together for the price. after scrutinising it in the shop against similar offerings from PKD and eolo the differences could be spotted in the details, such as the bridles attached directly to the ribs as opposed to sewn loops, less heavy duty stitching and choice of nylon over chikara for the sail material. however, six months down the line nothing has failed, and i'm not famed for taking it easy on kites as jumping is a favourite pastime of mine.

the kite is finished in an attractive white blue and green colourscheme which has stood the test of time well. the kite comes in its own rucksack with space for lines and sarnies but this is the only dissapointing part of the package as the zip came off in the first week!

instructions/setting up
the firebee comes with a small manual which details setting up and flying in only the broadest sense. from a novices point of view, it lacks information on setting up the brakes properly, rigging/derigging the kite and troubleshooting. a distinct lack of pictures didnt help either.this didnt help trying to set up and self launch on the beach first time out, and consequently led to much cursing and bridle tangles. the sky wasnt blue that day, but the air was... first flights-round one on the manufacturers settings the kite has a LOT of brake. this led to a lot of unexpected powering up moments, sometimes accompanied by a faceplant. what was immediately apparent was that this kite was very responsive, needing only small movements to initialte quick direction changes.

it was a very physical kite to fly in this state of tune however, and always seemed to be very nervous in the air. i also noted that getting this kite even slightly wet seriously affected performance and threw the kite out of trim.i decided it was time for some professional help.

round two
after going back to the shop the brake lines were extended and the kites angle of attack altered as it sat quite low in the window compared to similar sized kites. the wild monster on the end of my lines became much better mannered, now with the ability to ride out gusts and work the kite harder in the window without fear of reprisals. scudding and jumping now not only became possible, but insanely addictive. simply working the kite gently from side to side at the top of the window initiated catapault like jumps followed by lovely controllabe airtime and soft landings.

it now felt time to take the kite on the board. the lift of the kite promotes good stability when riding, as you can virtually sit in you harness with the kite still high in the window. upwind performance is good, though probably much better in the hands of someone more experienced. there is always enough power for most terrains, and working the kite gently pulls you over surfaces you'd think were solely for the buggiers. in light winds the kite can be flown almost like a revolution, though deft control is sometimes needed to prevent luffing here. the strong control forces still remained, but i didnt mind as i like physical kites.

power rings
this modification was fitted in the last month and has changed the behaviour of the kite considerably. without going into too much detail as i dont wish to copy others material, power rings are fitted between the main and brake lines either side of the kite and help maintain the correct aerodynamic profile for the kite. i also discovered that if rings with a slight edge are used, these grip the brakes during turns allowing smooth coordinated turns. in fact the kite almost flys like its a 2 liner but with brakes there whenever you need them. coordinating the controls has also reduded the amount of force needed to manouver the kite. in fact a taught a complete novice to fly the kite in 2 hours with the rings, whereas it'd took me about 3 months to tame the kite. but maybe im just a slow learner.

conclusion
though at first i wasnt pleased with the kite at all. it has turned out to be a forgiving, stable and at times very powerful kite. in terms of value for money its unbeatable, though the arrival of the PKD buster has raised the quality level in this sector of the market.

its an excellent board kite, though i cant comment on what its like in a buggy. but if you do buy one, make sure its set up properly if youre a novice and you'll avoid a lot of headaches. fit the power rings once you get used to the kite for longer sessions and more performance.

would i buy another? definitely but as large as possible!

By : bushflyer